What's a Friend?
by The Wizard of Dim-Wittedness
Summary: Just think, even when you've lost everything, what remains? Some say hope, but I say that that's FAR from the truth... How can people find the strength to keep living? Is it some sort of secret? Or is it just common sense? M for yaoi HumanXPkmn PkmnXPkmn
1. Chapter 1

Wizard: Hooray! A new story!

?: Shouldn't you try to finish one of your old ones before you start another?

Wizard: Well… Uhhhhh… Eheheh…

?: King me… O-O

Wizard: You'll never win! NEVER!

?: It looks like I already have… :3

Wizard: T^T Damn you…

?: Get over it…

**Disclaimer**: The Wizard of Dim-Wittedness does not own Pokémon, and all rights of ownership to such characters belong to Satoshi Tajiri and the Pokémon Company. However, he does own the plot line of this story, so he'll get pretty riled up if you try to use his junk without asking…

Wizard: Hey! That's my line!

?: Shut up. *Slaps Wizard*

Wizard: T^T Owwww…

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><p><em>Why is it…? That we never truly know what we have… <em>

_**Until it's gone…?**_

_How can we be so cruel…? Why do we have such a horrible, dark, fulsome capacity…_

_**For hatred and contempt…?**_

_Will the day when we can live in harmony… _

_**Ever come?**_

_How can we waste something so precious…_

_**As the gift of life…?**_

_Why is it…? That no matter how much we try to hide… _

_That no matter how we fight for justice…_

_**We are all evil inside…?**_

_I only wish I could've realized it sooner… So I could've stayed… Just one last time…_

_**To tell them that I love them…**_

* * *

><p>"Mitsumi!" a woman called out into the dense forest that surrounded their home, "Mitsumi~!"<p>

"Yes, Mama?" a young boy with long raven hair asked as he ran towards his mother from the forest, "What is it?"

"I need you to get some things for me…"

"Like~?" the boy asked inquisitively, giving his mother his attention as he wondered what it was she needed this time.

"I need you to get me some apples, some Bayleef spice, some rose petals…" She listed with a machine-like rapidity as she handed her son a satchel, "Oh, and fetch me some berries… Anything'll do… Except for Lum or Rindo berries."

"Uhhhhh…" Mitsumi babbled, already trying to recollect what he just heard, "Okay…"

"Oh!" she chimed with realization as she dug her hand into her pocket and took out a spherical device, "Please take Lennie with you; he hasn't gotten any exercise lately…"

She then opened the ball, releasing a large, bipedal canine-like creature with a large flash of light as the boy complied, "Okay~!"

The two walked into the forest, the trip to a clearing containing several berry bushes almost silent except for the sounds of the grass and brush tickling their ankles. Lennie was one of Mama's new Pokémon, in fact she had caught him only last week, and it was still odd having him around.

"Y'know…" the Lucario smiled, using his telepathy to talk to Mitsumi, "I always wonder why your mother named you Mitsumi… Isn't that a girl's name?"

"Yeah…" the boy admitted as he pushed his hair out of his eyes, "But you know Mama… She could care less if I have a catch or a snatch… So she just named me Mitsumi regardless…"

"Heheh… You're such a funny boy…" Lennie chuckled as the two came up to an apple tree, "I like that…"

"Thanks…"

The two looked up at the apple tree. It was low, but the lowest apple on this old geezer of a tree was twenty feet up, and there aren't any other apple trees for miles.

"So how's this gonna work?" the Lucario pondered as he stared at the bright red apples glistening in the afternoon sun and swaying in the autumn breezes, "Should we climb up?"

"I have a much better idea…" Mitsumi said as he grabbed a large sturdy stick from the ground below. He picked up the branch and traced a character into the dirt at the base of the tree.

**ξ**

"That should do it…" the boy said as he kneeled on the ground with a confident smile.

"And just what is this supposed to accomplish?" his companion scrutinized, looking at the boy as if he were insane.

"Watch and learn."

Mitsumi took a deep breathe in and concentrated on the character, and just like he expected, it started to glow. It started as a pale glisten, but slowly attuned into a bright white light, which filled the air as the wind slowly started to pick up.

"Get ready to catch some apples!" Mistumi screamed as a sudden gust shook the tree. The two fumbled for a while, clambering among the falling reds as they tried to catch them before they hit the ground and exploded at impact. They missed most of them. However, soon enough, they gathered enough to satisfy Mama, so they stopped.

"How did you…?" Lennie babbled with disbelief as he struggled to catch his breath, "That… How? ...And when…? Huh…?"

"Mama showed me…" the boy said, Mitsumi smiling as he rubbed the character out of the dirt, "She says it was a gift… Bestowed upon us by the spirits…"

"Interesting…" the Lucario said as he turned to look at Mitsumi as he saw a face stricken with horror, "What is it, Mitsumi?"

"That smoke…" he murmured absentmindedly as if his mind were already running, pointing to the column of billowing smoke that rose into the sky, "That's… Where the house is…"

The two ran with all their might to the house, the nearest Pokémon center was miles from here—in Oldale town— and if Mama got hurt… There's no way she would make it…

"MAMA!" Mitsumi screamed out as he spotted the raging flames that engulfed the small building that was once their home, running only to be stopped by a furry blue arm.

"Stay back!" Lennie said to him as he charged for the house, "I'm going in!"

Mitsumi obeyed, but he couldn't stay still, and pace back and forth on the forest border. How could he stay still when his mother was in danger? However, he knew the perfect thing to do to pass the time. There was a Rawst patch just across the way, and if he could get some Rawst berries, he could help them with their burns. At that he started to make his way towards the bush, but stopped as he saw something in the corner of his eye.

It was Lennie, carrying an unconscious Mama on his back as he ran for the forest border with a panic stricken look on his face, "Mitsum—"

A loud crack zoomed through the heated air, Mitsumi's eyes widening with shock as he saw Lennie fall, his blood staining the grass with a sickly crimson as a bullet passed through his skull and splattered the once peaceful plain with the Vermillion marks of death.

"R-Run…" Lennie sputtered weakly, using the last seconds of his fleeting life to warn him as a second shot was fired into his heart, silencing him for the final time as he collapsed into a pool of his own blood.

He did as he was told, running from the searing pain that slowly crept further into his heart with each step he took. Everything became a blur, and time seemed to pass without the meaning it had once had, all he knew was that he had to run away…

_**And never come back…**_


	2. Chapter 2

Mitsumi: Wizard? Could I ask you something?

Wizard: Sure… What is it?

Mitsumi: Why in Arceus' name did you name me Mitsumi? Last time I checked, I was a boy!

Wizard: Hannah's Not a Boy's Name (XD Hooray for making obscure references) either, so tough nuggets!

Lennie: Yeah, suck it up! At least you ain't DEAD!

Mitsumi: Good point O-O;

**Disclaimer**: The Wizard of Dim-Wittedness does not own Pokémon, and all rights of ownership to such characters belong to Satoshi Tajiri and the Pokémon Company. However, he does own the plot line of this story, so he'll get pretty riled up if you try to use his junk without asking…

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter Two<span>**

_Mitsumi's POV_

My eyes slowly opened, and I couldn't help but wince as the sharp luminescence of a flashlight pierced through my vision, "Excuse me?"

"Huh?" I babbled incoherently, my speech slurring groggily.

"What happened, little guy?" it was a woman, a police officer at that, she and an Arcanine stood over me, "Are you lost?"

"I don't know…" I replied, and it was true, I didn't have a clue as to where I was, but what I did remember, I'd rather forget, "Where am I?"

"You're in Oldale Town…" she answered curiously, pointing to the orange glow of streetlights in the distance, "If I may ask: Why are you outside at so late an hour? I mean, it's almost midnight!"

"Sorry…" I chuckled to the skeptical police officer, trying to think up a lie off of the top of my head, "I kinda fell asleep out here…"

"Is that true, Ralts?" she replied, goading a small, white Pokémon with a green helmet that had a pink horn out from behind her. The feeling Pokémon shook it's head, "I see…"

"Sorry… I'm afraid I need to take you in for further questioning…" I made an anxious gulp, and my palms got just a little clammy. _Shit… Ralts can identify emotions… And can even tell if you're lying… The Police must be getting smarter…_

She led me downtown to a small building near the Oldale Pokémon center, watching me ever step of the way to make sure hadn't run for it while her back was turned and was still there. Walking in she sat me on one of the chairs waiting in the lobby, the scratchy cloth clawing at my thin clothes as I shivered, realizing that I was cold as that never-melting-ice that Shimmer told me about.

Shimmer was a Snorunt that Mama had caught when she was 11, and it was her first and best Pokémon. She came from the Shoal Islands in the north, and she said that Never-melting-ice was a sort of ice that never melted, and was said to be a part of Regice that chipped off and grew over the years.

Unlike never-melting-ice, however, I could feel my arms and legs begin to defrost inside the heated building, and immediately the aches and soreness returned to them, and I could feel my joints creak as I moved. I was like one of those vampires I read about in a book once: pale and cold, with joints that creaked due to overuse. All I was missing was an unquenchable thirst for blood and insatiable hunger for human flesh, but that's going a little **too** far…

"I need you to be completely honest with me… Okay?" the officer said, continuing as I gave her a small nod, "Now, what's your name?"

"Mitsumi Iridaceous Takashi Samuel Ultarion Martin Ilon Suujiro the Fourth." I answered, the officer having trouble keeping track of all of the names, only uttering: "Mitsumi Suujiro" as she wrote just that on her pad.

She typed my name into a sort of handheld device that flipped open, and looked at me sternly as her impatience rose, "You sure about that? According to my PokéNav, there is no Mitsumi Suujiro in Hoenn!"

"Yes," I retorted sourly, looking at the Ralts for support, "I am, and I have ALWAYS lived in Hoenn!"

The Ralts nodded with approval causing the officer to relax a little, yet only broadened the spectrum of confusion that showed on her face, "Then where exactly do you live?"

"I live in the forest…" another nod from the Ralts, "With my Mother…"

"I see…" she mused quietly, taking notes of this on her notepad, "Is there any way we can get a hold of her?"

"No." the Ralts nodded once more.

"Why not?"

"Because she's—" I paused, half expecting the searing pain to return to my heart, but oddly enough something different come in. It was cold, more malevolent and deep reaching and it caused my heart to jump into my throat from surprise, slowly choking me as I felt my throat tighten around the lump.

_It was grief._

The Ralts, sensing this, immediately hushed its trainer, whispering, "Taralas, ralata sal rasat sara!" or something along those lines as it cried softly.

"Oh…" the officer said in an out-of-place manner, jumping out of her skin as she noticed the line she had crossed, "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay," I gurgled; my stomach felt so heavy, I felt like I could heave any second, "You wouldn't have known, anyway…"

"Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked, "Do you need a place to stay?"

"Yeah…" I said quietly, turning my head to hide the tears that had begun to flow down my cheeks. However, I was unable to hide from her Arcanine, which walked over to me rather awkwardly, trying to comfort me as he nuzzled at my side. I tried pet him with a wary hand, but even so, I couldn't help myself, and hugged the fire-type tightly as the lump in my throat had finally broken and sent my sobs into the air. Each breath was like a hiccup, with me gasping desperately for the air that eluded me and wispily entered me with so little comfort to me that I felt as I couldn't breathe. It was then that I realized what was happening…

_I was drowning in my tears._

_Nurse Joy's POV_

_Just another boring nightshift… _I groaned to myself behind the counter, making an attempt to entertain myself by fidgeting with my hair. Nothing EVER happens in Oldale… Well, except for this afternoon. Someone found a woman and a Lucario, both dead in the forest, and some charred ruins of what we thought was a house. _I wonder why they were living out there when we have this town already?_ Probably to get away from the boring routine of the neighborhood.

Out of nowhere, my PokéNav started ringing, and when I picked it up, Officer Jenny was on the other end, "What's up, Jenny?"

"That's OFFICER JENNY to you!" she said sourly in reply, soon moving on, "I need you to accommodate someone for the night."

"Is he a Trainer?" I asked. Trainers stay here on the daily, but it costs around 200 Poké so people usually just camp in the Town Park… Talk about annoying.

"No." she responded rather awkwardly, "He's just a friend of mine. I'll be bringing him over in just a sec."

"Oooooh~! Someone's being naughty!" I said raunchily, giving a suggestive growl into the receiver as I continued, "See? I told you! You're finally gonna get some!"

"You pervert!" She said sourly, not laughing as I would expect her to have done, "He's only, like… How old are you?" I couldn't surpress snickers; she so irritable sometimes, "He's only 11, you sicko!"

"Says the one who wants to sleep with him…" I replied as-a-matter-o-factly.

"I do NOT!"

"Do too~!"

"DO NOT!"

"Do too~!

"Shaddup! I'll be there in an sec'!" she screamed as she hung up he PokéNav roughly as stormed in the front door of the Pokémon Center seething wth rage; I wonder who spat in her cornflakes? "See this kid?"

"Yeah?" I said hesitantly, half thinking it was a trick question, "What about him?"

"Let him stay the night!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, no doubt waking the rest of the Pokémon Center with her outburst.

"Fine…" I said dismissively, looking at her as I held a palm out. I could smell something tasty on Jenny's person.

"What?"

"Give me one…" I said airily.

"One what?"

"Duh!" I exclaimed, "One of those Pokéblocks you have in your pocket!"

She handed one to me with some skepticism, but left soon after I popped it into my mouth. It tasted like Oran and Bluck berries, the sweet and dry tastes mixing and sticking to the sides of my mouth as I giggled to the boy, "Well? What's your name, hun?"

"Mitsumi…" the boy muttered, he sounded tired, but it was just the bitter face he wore that made it so. He looked just like Jenny when she got angry…

"Well, my name's Joy." I said as I took him into the hall and into a room, he would be sharing this one with a trainer I met earlier today. This trainer was an interesting character. He was so charismatic for his age, and that would be beyond my guess… Maybe fifty? "But that's _Nurse Joy_ to you, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am…" he said quaintly before climbing into the bed. I seriously wonder why Jen's making me babysit him… I mean, seeing this, it's hard NOT to believe she's a cougar…

_Mitsumi's POV_

I'm quite surprised at how soft this bed is, despite the fact that it's probably been soiled about a million times… But I have no room to complain, so I just decided to wait until sleep caught up with me… And it did much sooner than I thought. The next thing I knew, it was morning, my eyes opening to see a man of questionable age staring at my awakening figure.

"Good morning to you, young lad!" he said, he looked familiar, sort of… Maybe I saw him on TV before? "Do you know who I am?"

"Why are you asking?" I replied.

"If you guess correctly," He began, a grin crawling across his face, "I'll give you a prize…"

I thought carefully… He had tanned skin, and white hair. He acted quite differently…? And looking at his backpack, which was filled to the brim with Pokéballs, I could see he was a trainer… He was so ancient… And the only guy I ever saw who was this old on TV was…

I told him my guess.

"CORRECT!" he exclaimed excitedly, smiling broadly as he congratulated me, "I am the one and only, Professor Oak!"

**End of Chapter Two**


	3. Chapter 3

Mitsumi: Seriously? Professor Oak? Of all the clichéd bullcrap you could think of, THIS is what you came up with?

Wizard: There's much more than what meets the eye, Mitsumi… |3

Mitsumi: Like what? You being a total buffoon? O.O

Wizard: No… Tha—

Professor Oak: *Gives Mitsumi a bitch-slap, knocking him unconscious* I AM NOT CLICHÉD!

Wizard: Yes you are~!

Professor Oak: I know… T-T

**Disclaimer**: The Wizard of Dim-Wittedness does not own Pokémon, and all rights of ownership to such characters belong to Satoshi Tajiri and the Pokémon Company. However, he does own the plot line of this story, so he'll get pretty riled up if you try to use his junk without asking…

Wizard: Also, this chapter will be narrated in third person, unless otherwise dictated! ^-^

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter Three<span>**

'_Gee… What a nut…'_ Mitsumi thought to himself, staring at the professor awkwardly as Oak struck a "Righteous" pose, most likely expecting some sort of reaction, "So…? What'd I win?"

The Pokémon professor looked at him with a wide grin on his face, "You're gonna be my new test subject~!"

"Huh?" Mitsumi babbled, frightened by this notion, but cautious as to not alert this 'Nutty Professor', "What do you mean?"

"You know about the Pokédex holders, right?" he said, waiting for a nod from Mitsumi before going on, "It irritates me to no end that so many people are using my Pokédexes! I mean, their MY invention! I should be the one giving 'em out! ME! With all the other Pokémon researchers out there handing Pokédexes to any la-ti-da trainer it just isn't special anymore!"

"Your point being?" the boy said skeptically, using this moment to get up from his bed; the Pokédex was certainly a good invention in itself, but this sort of reaction from its inventor was outright ridiculous, "It's the same way with cars, televisions, and phones…"

"I decided to make something new…" the nutty professor announced jovially as he took a green and orange gauntlet-like object from his bag; it looked like it was supposed to wrap around your forearm, "I call it Pokémon Identification Matrix Protocol!"

Mitsumi pondered on the term for a moment, "PIMP…?"

"So what do you think?" Oak said proudly, dangling the device just in front of his face, "You can be the first to test it!"

"Sure…" the boy said indifferently, immediately snatching it as he slipped it on; it had a snug fit—almost like tights—but it was otherwise comfortable, "But just so you know, I don't have any Pokémon…"

"I can fix that!" the nutty professor said as he pulled another object from under the bed, this time a rather large white egg with hollow red and blue spots on it, "Take this!"

"Okay?" Mitsumi said, surveying the egg with an indignant pout, "How does this help?"

"That egg should hatch in a few days…" he began handing him a knapsack filled with who knows what, "When it does, you'll have your first Pokémon!"

"What am I supposed to do until then, smart one?" Mitsumi asked rather impatiently, his sarcasm seething through his teeth.

"You'll be accompanying me to the Annual Seminar Supporting Worldwide Intercommunications of Pokémon and Experimentations!" he announced happily.

"ASSWIPE…?" the boy said, the acronym itself making him chuckle rather loudly.

"Look…" He said as he began dragging the boy out of the building, "Just stick with me, got it?"

"Yeah, whatever…"

_Professor Juniper's POV_

The sky was beautiful at this time of day, especially from this high up. Currently, I was on a Flygon that Birch had sent me as a gift and we were sailing just above our destination, Littleroot Town, where the Annual Seminar Supporting Worldwide Intercommunications of Pokémon and Experimentations would be taking place. This year, Birch would be hosting and the year after that, Rowan, then I the next.

Oddly enough, we were all bringing one of our chosen trainers along with us, and for that reason, Black was riding beside me on his Unfezant. I am quite proud of him, really; I chose him only a year ago, and already he has become the Unovan Pokémon Champion…

Eventually, we made it to Birch's lab, and as usual, he was waiting for us with his chosen trainer, "Greetings, Juniper! I see you're as punctual as ever! This lovely lady here is my apprentice, Ruby!"

"It's an honor to meet you both!" Black said quickly as he bowed rather pitifully; despite his skill, he was sort of dorky and a little awkward… "I'm Juniper's apprentice, Black!"

"The honor's all mine~!"

Apparently, I wasn't the first one to arrive. Rowan and his apprentice: Dawn, along with Elm and his apprentice: Silver, had already arrived. The only one missing was Oak. I believe his trainer was either Red or Blue, but that old geezer probably doesn't want to bring his grandson… So most likely, he'll be bringing good ol' Red.

I looked upwards, and saw a Dragonite, one of Oak's, as the fuddy-duddy landed with… Wait… Who in Arceus' name is that?

"It looks like Oak's found another…" Rowan said scandalously; I swear, that one MUST be gay… No doubt about it…

"I hope I'm not late…" Oak said as he returned his Dragonite to his Pokéball, "This is my new apprentice… Errrrrrrr… What was your name again?"

"Mitsumi…" the boy said nonchalantly; he obviously barely knew this boy, and vice versa…

"I see…" I commented, surveying him closely, wondering why he would choose him at all…

Black, being the type to try to make friends, was already talking with him. But nonetheless it still bothered me… What made this kid so special?

_Back to 3rd POV_

"So you're Proffessor Oak's new apprentice?" Ruby asked excitedly, "You must be thrilled~!"

"Of course…" Mitsumi said, "But it's still a little shocking seeing how it all happened so suddenly…"

"Your parents must be so proud of you…" Silver added as he beamed at the new trainer.

"Yeah…" the boy replied almost absentmindedly, a pang of grief slithering through his chest as his mind momentarily retreated.

"You know what we should do…?" Black suddenly said, taking out a Pokéball as he put his arms around his fellow apprentices and made a group hug, "We should have a Battle!"


End file.
